Reaping the Harvest
by notnecessarilyinbetween
Summary: Merlin begins to explore his new powers found in Walking the Path Alone, and others begin to realize just how important he is. Reveal Fic. Rated T just for safety.
1. Chapter 1

Hello again! This can be considered a continuation of Walking the Path Alone.  
>Disclaimer: Merlin belongs to the BBC<br>Oh, and did you see episode 1! Epic, was it not? Can't wait to see the next one. * jumping in excitement*

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><p>"Arthur is going to kill me!" thought Merlin as he ran through the fields that surrounded Camelot's walls.<p>

"Oi, Merlin, late again are you?" a shout rang out across the path and Merlin jumped at the familiar noise.

"Oh go bother someone else Arden!" Merlin yelled but did not manage to suppress a smile as he stopped jogging and turned back to face the farmer.

A toothy grin was shot his way as the man lifted up his scythe and managed to almost seem angry as he pointed it in Merlin's direction "You best get back here soon enough Mr. Manservant, can't have my crops withering away now, right?"

" Am I just everybody's dogsbody then?" Merlin yelled as he started running back up the steps of the castle and out of the line of sight of the farmer.

"Please let him not be up, please let him-"

"Merlin"

"Ah, um, yes, Arthur... funny story actually, as it turned out..." Merlin's mind was trying to catch up with his words, " and um farmers! and this lady in the square..."

"Merlin, I really don't care about your frolicking through town, what I do wonder about is how my, MY, manservant seems to be working for everyone else and not doing his job." Arthur was dressed and looking over his schedule for the day, not entirely paying attention to the way Merlin seemed to be dithering about his room, until he heard a noise so loud it was only possible that one man in the entirety of Albion would be able to make, "Merlin, what have you...Merlin?" The boy had disappeared out of Arthur's view before returning, completely red-faced and was holding a large plate of Arthur's breakfast.

"Yes, Arthur?" Merlin's smile spread wide across his entire face, and for that reason alone Arthur decided not to question his manservant's actions.

"Just place that on the table and go Merlin, I wont be needing you back until later, around noon, and don't forget that you will have to be presentable for the meeting this evening with the ambassador from the French delegation."

"Of course, when am I not presentable?" Merlin seemed to be stunned at the idea, but Arthur knew better not to turn around, or he would see "that" grin on Merlin's face, and he knew he would not be able to stop grinning either. "Just go, idiot, you always complain about not getting enough free time."

"I'm gone!" Merlin started leaving the room, before turning back and saying " ...thanks"

Then he ran as fast as his legs could take him back to the fields.

Arthur was not able to suppress a smile at Merlin's words, ever since Merlin had been hurt on that lone battlefield, the tension that was usually between them seemed to have mellowed. Their playful banter continued, but it was easier to talk about some things then before, or to ignore them whenever it got to awkward. Arthur sighed as he lifted his hands above his head to stretch out his shoulders, and then collapsed in a fit of laughter as he saw Merlin run through the town running into 6, no, 7 people on his way out the gate. Could that boy get any clumsier.

"I'm back" Merlin exclaimed between puffs as he fought to get his breathe back under control. He had started spending more and more time with the farmers, and they in turn had seemed to adopt him into their group.

"Wow, did you jus' ditch your job then?" asked one of the farmhands.

"No, when would I ever do that?"

"The real question, is when wold you do it and actually say you did."  
>Merlin turned around as once again that same someone was able to sneak up behind him. "Arden! Can you stop doing that!"<p>

"Oh, is the little manservant high strung? Anyway, I need you to look at beans, the don't seem to be sprouting as much."

"I don't see why you need me to look at them," but Merlin got no response as the joke played out as usual and he was towed to look over at the beans

"Arden, can you guys please stop hinting that I might in some way be helping your crops? I really do not want to be accused of sorcery..." Merlin had just finished looking at rows and rows of beans, and knew he would have to return to Camelot soon.

"You don't need to worry my boy, this is only between you and us. We aren't gonna let the king know about this little trick of yours."

"It isn't a trick!"

"Of course not, it just so happened that whenever you came down past the fields, everything started growing larger, taller, and when it was picked was juicier then any other year," Arden was used to this fight, but they both knew that neither would give up on their sides of the argument, and so kept repeating the same lines.

"Hmmph," was Merlin's only reply as he watched the magic that seemed to surround him ever since the famine that occurred two months back, slowly worked its way into all the crops that he could lay his eyes on, "Well, I am probably going to be busy the next few days, so don't expect me to come when one of the beans decides not to flower."

"Of course not, my boy."

Merlin and Arden walked in a comfortable silence for a while, before Arden grabbed Merlin's shoulder and turned him around, "Trust me, boy, no matter what happens, we aren't gonna do anything about you, you're one of us, and we don't turn in our own, now go on, get don't want his highness to get angry now do we?" and he pushed Merlin off once again towards the castle, as Merlin was trying to figure out whether to smile or be worried "Ah well," Merlin thought, " I can always say that I am learning some stuff from Gauis and that is helping me learn more about crops...right?"

As Merlin trudged back up the steps, Arden watched as the small weeds that lined the road seemed to move closer as Merlin walked by, "And may the gods help you to boy." A small smile played on his lips, and he turned back towards the farm hands, "Let's get back to work you lot!"


	2. Chapter 2

Hello again! Sorry about not being update like last time, life decided to attack me.  
>Disclaimer: Merlin still belongs to the BBC<br>Please enjoy!

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><p>Exactly at noon the cacophony of boots and shouts that seemed to follow Merlin everywhere he went approached Arthur's chambers.<br>"SAFE" a voice shouted as Merlin threw upon the door.

And Merlin was quite certain that the voice was not in fact Arthur's.

"Gwaine, what are you doing in here?" Merlin tried to catch his breath and then looked up at where Gwaine was seated...on Arthur's bed, "Gwaine! Does Arthur know... you know what never mind."

"Now Merlin, do you really think I would be sitting in Arthur's chambers just because I want to?"

"Yes."

"Well I will have you know" as Gwaine tried to put on a snobbish face, "that I was specifically ordered to wait for you and tell you that the French delegation will be arriving early and Arthur wants you to... how did he put it 'be as un-Merlinly as possible'," Gwaine ended with a wry smile.

" That prat, thanks Gwaine, sorry but I've got to run!" Merlin looked around and then turned back to Gwaine, " And I think it would be best if you left too, before Arthur finds out you have been trying to sign all his papers for him."

"Probably for the best then," Gwaine smiled as he grabbed Merlin's arm and dragged him over to Gauis's quarters.

"Well, it wasn't a complete failure!" Merlin found that sometimes looking at the bright side of things was nearly impossible, " I mean they did not say that they were going to go to war with us!"

" Oh yes, Merlin, everything went great, amazing, until those damn papers came out and SOMEONE had signed them all " Princess Prat!" Arthur had perfected the stomp and pout, and was once again showing his amazing skills to Merlin. Merlin, however, was used to the performance, " ... They said they would come back! And that one man thought it was funny!"

"Merlin, that one man was the King's Uncle, and he was laughing at every word and speaking nonsense French the entire time. I seem to think that he would be even a match for Gwaine, or you for top annoyance," Arthur's lips quirked as the usual banter between them blocked the unfortunate encounter.

"I've been demoted, I guess I must leave and seek out a new land where I am the top nuisance," Merlin sighed as he drifted to the door, then stopped as if speaking to the air, "but don't worry Sire, no one will be able stop you from being the biggest Prat!" and he bolted.

Since Merlin no longer needed to wait until the afternoon to finish up his work for Arthur, he decided to move onto some herbs that Gauis was running low on.

Though this was just an excuse, Merlin entered the forest, and walked a ways before he stopped, and simply relaxed. The magic that surrounded him at all times swirled and joined with the magic of the very land, and if anyone was to come walking by, they would see swirls and golden dust radiating in the light. The bark on the trees came alive with shadows of gold playing behind the bark.

Merlin sat and breathed, sometimes it was just hard being him. With all the deaths and lies that surrounded him, he was glad of a place that he could feel so at peace. He walked among the trees, a beacon, and after he had gathered everything Gauis needed, he laid down on the forest floor. It was just him, and his magic. A gasp woke him from his sleep and he bolted up to look around. He realized he had been breathing heavily, and must have woken himself up. The magic that had been streaming around him had disappeared back behind the surface, no longer visible. Merlin stood up and wandered back to the castle, hoping he wasn't too late.

And in the spot he had been laying, the grass slowly started to right itself, and change from a dull brown back to a vibrant green.


	3. Chapter 3

Hello! I'm not sure how much time I will have for writing in the next few weeks, but I will try! Please enjoy!

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><p>Arthur was busy, spending most of his time running his (unofficial) kingdom, and also trying to study as he should. And because of his new jobs, it was almost impossible for him to spend time with Merlin like he used to. He didn't have the energy to send Merlin off to muck the stables, but instead plied him with the simplest and most necessary tasks, and this gave Merlin a lot more free time that he could not spend around Arthur. Arthur wasn't complaining per say, he just had a lot of stress and every time he was with the idiot he tried to make sure their strange friendship wasn't going to disappear. He also was not jealous of those farmers Merlin seemed to visit every chance he got, because Kings-to-be do not get jealous of things like that. But even with so much time separated, Arthur had begun to notice something going on with Merlin. Just this morning Merlin had burst into his room, acted as completely annoying as usual, and then stopped in the middle of their banter with a strange look crossing over his face. At training, Arthur looked over to him, and he looked just fine, but when he was wondering the corridors and his manservant ran into him, Merlin looked as if he wanted to keel over at that very moment. Arthur decided that only one person would know what was going on, and thus headed to Gauis's chambers.<p>

"What did I drink last night?" Merlin was trying to block all noise from his head, and his stomach felt as if it was on fire. "Oh wait, I didn't even go out last night," Merlin remembered the strange sense of foreboding as he stumbled down the halls, his thoughts seeming to be miles away until he just collapsed on his bed. The pain increased the longer that Merlin was lying there, until he felt a sudden need to _get out,_

to run to the forests where he had felt so at home. Something was wrong. He looked deep inside him for his magic, and gasped. It was not the all encompassing glow he usually felt, instead it was as if it had burnt down to just a few embers. Merlin bolted out of bed, grunting as his stomach seemed as if it might burst, and ran straight past Gauis and outside. He made it to a small field and suddenly everything seemed better. He could breath and it no longer felt as if his body was being torn in two. Merlin collapsed to the ground and felt as the nature's magic filled his body. "What the hell is going on with me?"

Arthur entered Gauis's chambers and was shocked to see Gauis staring at the door, unmoving, and it seemed as if he was just given a shock. "Gauis?" no response, "GAUIS!"

"Oh Sire, sorry, I was a bit shocked," Gauis gave a shudder and turned back to his work, and seemed to peak up to Merlin's room.

"Gauis, have you seen anything weird happening with Merlin?" Arthur decided to take the straight forward approach, he knew Gauis did like to dither on for a while.

"Besides the fact that he just ran out of here as though the hounds of hell were after him?" Gauis thought to himself "No, nothing unusual" was his only reply.

"Really, because yesterday he seemed to be coming down with something," Arthur gave Gauis a reproving glance.

"Do not worry Sire, if something has happened to Merlin then I will make sure to look into it," Gauis gave a tired smile and turned back to whatever foul smelling concotion he was brewing.

Gauis heard the door slam and sighed, "What has that boy done now?"

"Boy, boy, booooy? BOY!"

A sharp slap connected with Merlin's face and he woke up with a start. Squatting in front of him was a man shaped shadow, that soon became re-adjusted until Merlin recognized him, "Arden, what was that for?"

"Just look around you boy, I don't care if you say you don't have magic, but if someone other then me was to find you, then I think you might just be getting the chopping block!" Arden's forehead was creased with worry, "Now don't worry, I've called over that Knight friend of yours, not the drunk one, and he is going to take you back to the castle, but boy, watch yourself!" Arden sat down and seemed to stare out across the fields.

Merlin took a deep breath and moved his head to see what Arden was talking about, and slowly shifted until he was on his elbows. A perfect circle of dead grass was surrounding him, and when he went to check for his magic, he felt none in all of his surroundings, except for the small bit of life in all living creatures, so that must be Arden. Merlin tried to concentrate but felt his mind slip and landed heavily on the grass. It wasn't too long before he heard footsteps and the clink of chain mail slowly approaching him, and squinted up to see Lancelot looking down on him with an exasperated, but worried look.

"Only you, Merlin" Lancelot helped him stand, thanked Arden and helped lug Merlin back to the castle when they found out his legs really didn't want to work.

Each step that Lancelot helped him back towards the castle felt worse and worse. By the time they had reached Gauis's chambers, Lancelot was growing frantic by the way Merlin had slowly started to collapse.

"Gauis!" Lancelot nearly took the door of its hinges as he catapulted through the room and placed the very heavily breathing, not even fully conscious Merlin gently onto it.

Gauis turned to look, and at once flew over to his ward's aid. "He's got a high fever," Gauis started listing off symptoms and began trying to cool Merlin down.

Lancelot watched as the physician efficiently ground together ingredients and slowly forced Merlin to choke them down.

"I suggest you go tell his highness, Lancelot, and if you could fetch Guinevere for me?"

It was phrased like a request, but Lancelot knew a command when he heard it, and he bolted out the door.

Not two minutes after Lancelot left, Arthur broke through the door and rushed over to where Merlin lay. "What's wrong with him Gauis?" Arthur seemed to want to help Gauis with his treatment, but did not want to get in the way, so he hovered over Merlin's bed, anxiety seeping from every corner. Soon Gwen rushed in, and joined Gauis in trying to cool Merlin down. After a couple hours, and Merlin's fever had not cooled, he woke up and scrunched his face in pain.

"Merlin,stay awake!" Gauis had been pacing, just waiting for him to wake up, "Where does it hurt, you have to tell me!" Arthur watched as the always calm Gauis seemed to grow even more frantic with every word.

"Stomach," Merlin was able to grumble out, eyes not focusing, seared over with pain.

"Merlin, which side?" a shadow seemed to drop over Gauis's eyes.

"R-right," Merlin choked out. Gauis nodded, and made Merlin drink another potion which caused him to slowly sink back into unconsciousness.

Arthur watched as Gauis's face became despondent as soon as Merlin closed his eyes.

"Gauis?" Arthur cursed himself for the weakness in his voice, "You can help him, can't you?"

Gauis kneaded his brow, " I have seen a few other cases such as this, Sire, at first the patients get sick, nauseous, a pain happens in their right side, and almost over night they get a fever. It is very fast, and I have found nothing that can combat it." Gauis moved around the bed, propping Merlin's head up and Arthur heard him muttering ",but never this fast..."

"Is there nothing you can do for him?"Arthur tried to swallow, but found his mouth had grow incredibly dry.

"I..." Gauis tried to say something, to reassure Arthur, but he couldn't this time, he was useless, and he had no way to save Merlin, "I can make it less painful."

Arthur's world stopped with those last words, and he slowly sank to the floor.

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><p>By the way, if you know what disease I have given Merlin ( I think I gave enough hints) then please leave a review! You will get Merlin shaped cookies that suddenly grow beards of candy floss! ~not necessarily in between<p>

p.s. I know you want one!


	4. Chapter 4

Gwaine was drinking in a pub, like he normally would be found, except he wasn't all laughs and cheers and fights this time. All of the other patrons noticed his mood and stayed as far away from him as they possibly could.

"Damn that idiot," Gwaine growled at his mug, remembering exactly when Lancelot had come running into the meeting, whispered some hasty words to Arthur, and then they both left. He saw Lancelot running one direction, but was surprised as his hung-over mind would allow him to see Arthur full on sprinting to the other.

He had not been allowed to leave for another half hour, so he was in peak form when he finally found out what had happened.

He could remember the slow growing of dread as Gauis's door swung open, first to reveal Arthur, collapsed on his knees, not responding to any noise or anyone calling him. Gwaine would have pointed out how much he looked like the princess Gwaine had named him, except his next sight was Merlin laying on top of the patient's table, struggling to breath. He may have noticed Guinevere crying, and Gauis trying to rouse Arthur, but his full focus was drawn to his friend, his first real friend, slowly disappearing before his eyes. He struggled to speak, but felt a hand latch onto his shoulder.

Lancelot had dragged him out into the hallway and explained with long pauses and mumbled explanations. "Merlin...sick...can't...pain...useless..." Gwaine was not even able to respond to what he had heard. He moved away from the door and stumbled down into a tavern, where he was now, trying to not think about it, because it wasn't real, it couldn't be, this was Merlin!

A heavy thump made him jump in his seat, and he noticed one of the farm girls that he had often talked to. She grabbed his arm and soon they began to speak.

It isn't right. It isn't, it couldn't be, Merlin isn't supposed to die. The times before this they could always heal him. There always was a cure. Gauis could always do something, he could go find another stupid plant that would secure that Merlin was saved. How useless. He couldn't even move, his mind just kept replaying the same thoughts over and over again. He couldn't work. He needed Merlin, he needed the idiot by his side. He wouldn't be able to continue if Merlin didn't, he could feel it. He needed his balance, his other side, to be everything that he wasn't. Merlin was the one that kept him moving forward, that made him better. With a small smile and one surly retort Merlin could do in two minutes what no one else would have dared. Merlin was different. Merlin wasn't allowed to die, he wasn't even allowed to think of dying.

Arthur felt himself being moved onto a small stool next to Merlin, and the only conscious movement he did was wrap Merlin's hand in his. He felt the fingers curl around his palm and suddenly found it very hard to see. He moved his other hand in front of his eyes and was shocked to feel warm water dripping down his cheeks. He hadn't cried for at least ten years, he wasn't supposed to cry. But then his thoughts cleared, this was Merlin, nothing was the same around him. Arthur allowed himself to break at that point, small tears falling down and dropping on the cold stone floor.

Arden was running as fast as he could towards the castle. Esme had run to the fields shouting about Merlin, and Arden knew that something was wrong. He had grabbed his most formal coat, his gloves, and a small potted plant, and started running up the path he had seen Merlin jog up many times before.

He passed by the small clearing where Merlin had lain earlier, and could still see small pieces of dead grass.

He had been frightened, walking up the path to see Merlin in the center of a perfect circle of dead grass, but the boy had looked fine when he woke up. He always seemed so energetic in the fields, and the fields responded to him.

At that moment Arden didn't care about his promise to Merlin to keep his secret.

What good is a promise when he was dead?

Arthur had stopped crying and was just sitting on the stool, holding Merlin's hand when someone jerked open Gauis's door and started panting. The man looked unkempt, his hair wild, and was wearing the normal clothes of peasant day workers, but was for some reason wearing what seemed to be a formal jacket. His gloves were covered in mud and he held a small flowering plant. Arthur had little more time to contemplate the man before he rushed over to look straight into Arthur's eyes.

"Sire, sire," he huffed, "There is a way to save him sire," Arden had run hard and long, and was so glad that he found the physicians chambers that he was too lightheaded to try to act as he should in front of the Prince.

Arthur had first looked at the peasant like he was insane, but the man kept saying over and over again that Merlin could be saved, so Arthur finally choked out a broken, "How?"

The peasant looked nervous and stared at the pot in his hands, he saw an old man, the physician that Merlin was always talking about, step into the room, a look of pain and hope crossing his face.

"Merlin he, he... he is special sire."

" I know that, I have known that since he got he-"

"NO, no sire, he is, he has, he can..."

Gauis started at the man, and bustled forward trying to shoo him out of the room,

"Please sir, we have no time for your tomfoolery!"

" Just watch, please!" the man shoved past Gauis and placed the plant next to Merlin.

Arthur was angry. An insane peasant had raised his hopes, that something could be done, and now he was spouting out nonsense and playing with flowers, "You dare," Arthur growled before he gasped and saw the plant.

It had been flowering and bright when it entered the room, but now that it was next to Merlin, it started to wither. The leaves shriveled up and fell down, the head drooped and slowly it completely collapsed.

Arthur slowly turned to look at Merlin, who started breathing easier, Arthur ran his hand over Merlin's forehead and felt the fever slowly reduce in intensity. However it did not go down by much, and soon Arthur could feel the heat slowly flushing across Merlin's face again.

"What?" Arthur stared at the flower, then at his manservant, then a the two men standing in front of him.

The peasant was still breathing heavily, but a small smile crossed his face.

However Gauis, for all he looked joyful, would not meet Arthur's eyes.

Gauis peered up, turned around and started gathering supplies, "Sire, if we want to save him we must take him far away into the wilderness to have it offset his illness, we couldn't want him taking his health from this year's crops, especially after the last business with the famine.

Arthur ordered himself to stop thinking about what he had been. He would focus on saving Merlin now, and the... other thing... once he was able to talk to Merlin. Merlin couldn't have magic? No, now was not the time.

" I will get Lancelot, Gwaine, and Percival to ride out with us, Arthur began to sweep out of the room, but stopped to grasp the peasant's arm. "Would you tell me your name?"

"Arden, Sire," the man gave a short bow.

"Thank you, Arden," and Arden saw the pain and the hope that was shimmering in the eyes of his young king, and smiled in response, "Any time."

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><p>Geez, I really should be doing homework , but I really enjoyed writing this chapter so I guess I am happy.<br>Thank you for the reviews and Favourites, and also, good job RubyAB it is appendicitis, and so here is your Merlin/Dragoon cookie with a growig cnady floss beard!

Please review, and the next chapter should be out before the end of the week~ not necessarily in between


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Merlin belongs to the BBC

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><p>Arthur had propped Merlin onto his horse, then swung up behind him. He used one hand to grab Merlin to him, and could feel the waves of heat sliding off of his body. He grabbed the reigns with his other and moved in front of his small groups of nights.<p>

"Does anyone know of any places that are very full of plant life? Maybe somewhere in the forest?" Arthur called out to his group as they galloped out of the castle.

Lancelot's horse went to the front to stay pace with Arthur's, "I know of a place, Merlin has taken me there before, it isn't that dar away," and he he went in front to lead the way.

He was not jealous of Lancelot, he shouldn't be, just because Merlin spent his free time with the knights and not him, it shouldn't matter. He gulped as he tried to force all of his emotions and thoughts down, and just focus on fixing Merlin, because that is all that mattered at that point. They were deep into the forest when Arthur started to notice something strange, it seemed as of the bark on the trees was moving around in patterns,lighted by some inner source. He was so intrigued by it that he almost didn't stop when he passed Lancelot's still horse.

"This should be good, let me help sire," Lancelot slid Merlin from the front of the saddle and gently lay his prone form on the ground.

Arthur and the knights stepped back and waited, holding their breaths. Merlin started to squirm, and suddenly screamed out in pain.

"What is going on? I thought this was supposed to heal him?" Arthur ran forward and knelt next to Merlin's side. "Merlin! Merlin! Wake up, what's wrong?"

Arthur grasped Merlin's shoulder and squeezed it trying to rouse him.

"Merlin, come on now, get your lazy butt up!"

Merlin was quivering and heaving short gasps, his eyes blearily opened, and what Arthur saw made his heart stop. Fear, guilt, and it was so prominent that it overtook the glazed pain filled look he had had since Arthur had seen him in Gauis's room. Afraid? What did he have to be afraid of? Was something else wrong that he couldn't heal?

"Merlin? Come on, wake up!"

The eyes opened again, this time much clearer, and they seemed confused. "W-why?"

"WHY?" Arthur yelped at the question, "WHY what? Don't you want to get better you idiot?" Arthur then stopped and gulped at the statement, only able to fill in the blanks in his mind.

"No, w-why are you, I-I'm magic, Arthur," Merlin closed his eyes with the last statement and seemed to deflate, surrendering himself to death.

" I DON'T CARE IF YOU BLOODY HAVE MAGIC, AT LEAST YOU COULD USE IT TO LIVE!" Arthur pulled Merlin up, the idiots eyes opened to reveal a look of pure confusion, "Please Merlin," Arthur looked straight into his eyes, and saw the look of resignation that passed over them just before they turned the brightest color gold that he had ever seen.

He felt the grass underneath him grow warm to the touch, and looked away from Merlin to be shocked. Everything was gold, the trees, the bushes, the air that surrounded them. He looked at himself and was a bit shocked to see that he was not gold, but seemed to have some kind of film separating him from the magic. Eye's moving back to Merlin he was shocked to see him turning as gold as his eyes. The magic was coating his skin and moving through his veins. His short gasps became long breaths, and Arthur found that he was still grasping Merlin's shoulder, and was shocked to feel the warmth, and the love, that Merlin was being filled with. Arthur could see the magic, slowly swirling through the air and melting down into Merlin. They were in the center of the vortex, and Arthur was able to see everything. Minutes or hours later it stopped, the life around them growing dimmer. It wasn't completely dead, more like an early autumn had happened just in this one area of the forest. Merlin lay in the middle of it all, eyes closed, face unmarred by any kind of pain. He was sleeping, but still seemed so awe filled, so pure, that Arthur took away his hand from his shoulder and leaned heavily on his side.

Magic. He couldn't deny it now, that is what it was. Strong magic, he had never seen any of the people who had attacked him have anywhere near the same kind of power he had just seen Merlin display as he lay there dying. The idiot was a sorcerer, and Arthur wasn't sure how to move on. He closed his eyes and reviewed all the times he had seen magic, mostly when it was aimed at him. It followed what his father said, even Morgana was evil, yet he still remembered one time, one small glowing orb, one chance to think "maybe it isn't as bad as I thought." Maybe Merlin was different? Arthut didn't know much about the subject, but wanted anything to go against the fact that magic was evil. When he realized what he just thought he looked up. He didn't want magic to be evil, because if it was evil then Merlin had to be, and his heart threatened to break at the thought of that.

Lancelot watched as Arthur stared into space, and knew that it was time to do what he could for the man that had gotten him what he wanted.

"Sire."

Arthur glanced over at Lancelot, and saw the man walking over to him, he sank to his knees next to the prince and looked him straight in the eyes, " It is about time I confessed, I did not kill the griffin."

Arthur's brow knotted in confusion, struggling to bring up the memories.

"Merlin did, he also destroyed the immortal army, or both as I heard, truthfully, I do not know all he has done, but he is one of the kindest people I know, and I knew about his magic since the incident with the griffin," Lancelot hung his head shamefully, acknowledging his wrong, but looked back up into Arthur's eyes.

Merlin wasn't evil. A smile graced Arthur's lips before he turned to the next thought that was gnawing at his mind. Merlin had lied to him. He tried to rationalize it. In the beginning it would have been impossible, he had been, well, a prat. But later on, wait, that meeting with Morgause. Was it true? But why would Merlin save his father? No, more to the question, if Merlin had magic, why would he convince Arthur it was evil.

And then he realized why Merlin hadn't told him. He tried to stop it, but a low roar began to rise out of his chest.

The knights were shocked, Arthur had been staring into space, everyone had been awaiting his next move, when he suddenly fell over with laughter. He tried to hide the snuffles of glee, and soon grasped Merlin and picked him up.

"Lets get back to Camelot shall we?" A large smile played over his face, and he looked at Merlin as if he was the funniest thing in the world.

Gwaine was as silent as Percival on the ride back.

It had been three days since the spectacular explosion of Merlin's powers, and he was nearly jumping out of his bed with nerves. He wasn't allowed to leave the room or "I swear I will drug you Merlin, now lay back down and stop giving me heart attacks."

Gwaine and Lancelot had swung by, the former back to his happily intoxicated state.

Arden had made an appearance as well, " I'm not going to say sorry boy, what I did was for your own good, now get better cause I want the best crops in the fields this year."

Merlin sighed and closed his eyes, and didn't even realize he had gone to sleep until he felt a heavy thump on the side of his bed. He jerked up and felt his arms caught in the grasp of the person who so rudely woke him up.

" Woah there Merlin, don't want you hurting yourself any more."

Merlin froze and looked up into the eyes of Arthur Pendragon.

" Arthur, I am so sorry, I meant to tell you, I swear, but I-"

"It is all right Merlin, I know why you didn't tell me," Merlin swore he saw Arthur starting to smile.

"Wha?"

" It is because you are an idiot," Arthur face broke into a full out grin, and he punched Merlin lightly on the shoulder, "Now get better so I can finally find out all the stuff the others have been mumbling on about."

Merlin soon over came his shock, breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at Arthur.  
>"Prat!"<p>

* * *

><p>That is it, this one is complete!<br>If you enjoyed it please leave a review. Also I have some more stories to this verse that I will post soon, so please keep looking!  
>Thank you so much for the favourites, alerts, and reviews! The more I got, the quicker I updated ( I got a little excited!)<p>

I hope you enjoyed it! ~ not necessarily in between


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